News live: Australian government evacuates families of diplomats as tensions rise in Middle East | Australia news
Australians advised to reconsider travel to Lebanon
There is in Australia directed the takeoff Number of all dependents of Australian officials deployed to Israel and Lebanon as a precaution due to regional tensions.
The government has also offered voluntary departure to dependents of Australian officials stationed in Jordan, Qatar and the UAE and continues to advise a high degree of caution in these destinations.
Australia’s embassies in Tel Aviv and Beirut remained open but the situation in the Middle East was “unforeseen” and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said people should reconsider traveling to Lebanon and Israel.
“If you’re inside [these two countries]We continue to recommend that you consider leaving while commercial options are still available,” Dfat said on the Smartraveller website.
The site issued the following warning last night:
The security situation in the Middle East is unpredictable. Regional tensions remain high and the risk of military conflict remains.
The situation may get worse without any warning.
It was stated that Australians should monitor events, follow the advice of local authorities and follow the latest updates. Smartraveller.gov.au.
important events
Luca Ittimani
Tests show three quarters of new cars in Australia use more fuel than advertised laboratory rating
The other 10 cars also failed to live up to their fuel efficiency promises when tested in the real world; This has increased Australia’s challenges in reducing emissions from transport.
The Australian Automobile Association’s latest testing has confirmed that 76% of new petrol, diesel and hybrid vehicles still use more fuel on the road than mandatory laboratory tests suggest.
With federal government funding, AAA tested 141 petrol, diesel and hybrid vehicles on roads around Geelong, Victoria, under strict protocols.
Test results released on Wednesday showed GWM’s Tank 300 consumed 25% more fuel in the real world than in the laboratory. Honda’s HR-V used 19% more fuel and Hyundai’s Santa Fe used 11% more fuel.
Read more here:
Gambling reform advocate renews calls for advertising to be regulated and banned
Priest Tim CostelloThe Gambling Reform Alliance’s chief advocate spoke to RN Breakfast this morning about efforts to tackle gambling, including the launch of BetStop, which has a self-exclusion record.
Costello said Australians were living in an “extraordinary reality” where “you can’t escape gambling”:
We are literally saturated. You know, unfortunately, gambling companies even own our children now…
Currently, there is a ridiculous situation that I support, such as those under the age of 16 not being able to take part in social media. But television is flooded with online gambling ads. Although it is now illegal, 900,000 young Australians gambled last year.
Costello repeated his call for a national gambling regulator and a ban on gambling advertising, saying he believed the majority of the Labor caucus would support the moves. But he said the industry appeared to have a stranglehold on society.
More than 53,000 Australians have signed up to BetStop between its launch in August 2023 and 1 December 2025. AAP reports. The self-exclusion registration blocks access to telephone and online gambling providers and prevents them from contacting the person.
But a review of BetStop’s activity found “several serious breaches” by gambling companies targeting people on the register, as well as areas for improvement.
Costello said it was a “very good program” but that few people had heard of it.
Ute allegedly hit boy riding e-scooter at pedestrian crossing in Sydney’s west
A child riding an e-scooter was allegedly hit by a ute at a pedestrian crossing in Sydney’s west last night.
Emergency services were called to South Granville around 10pm. On arrival, paramedics treated the 10-year-old boy before he was taken to Westmead Children’s Hospital, where he remained in a serious but stable condition.
The 29-year-old driver was taken to hospital for mandatory testing. No charges were made.
The crime scene was created.
‘There will be more savings in the budget,’ says Chalmers
Chalmers said the upcoming budget would be “ambitious” but would also take into account “the pressures on people and also the pressures on our economy more broadly”.
These include inflation, productivity and “all these global economic uncertainties,” he said.
These are the key factors and pressures we’re focusing on as we get closer to making some key decisions about what will and won’t be in the budget in May.
He added that the budget will also include cost savings.
“We made that clear,” Chalmers said. “That’s one of the reasons why we can help deliver the biggest positive return on the budget since federation. People can expect to see more of that in May. And as part of that, there will be more savings.”
Chalmers says government is ‘very focused’ on inflation until next federal budget
Accountant Jim Chalmers He spoke to RN Breakfast about the latest inflation figures, which show that price increases continue in 2026 and strengthen the predictions of a new interest rate increase. Inflation remained at 3.8% in January.
Chalmers told RN:
Inflation was stable in January but higher than we would like. We are frank about this. I don’t make predictions about the future movements of interest rates, but I can assure your listeners that the government is very focused on this fight against inflation. This is a big part of our thinking in preparation for the budget in May…
However, we have made a lot of progress together as a country since 2022, when inflation peaked. But this is higher than we’d like for longer than we’d like, and that means there’s more work to be done.
One person dies in fire in Sydney’s west
A man died and a woman was taken to hospital after a fire broke out in Sydney’s west last night.
Emergency services were called to a unit in St Marys at around 7.15pm. Upon arrival, officers found the third floor of the unit complex “thoroughly burned.”
A woman believed to be in her 40s was evacuated and taken to hospital in a serious but stable condition. Fire and Rescue crews later extinguished the fire and found the body of a man believed to be in his 40s inside.
While a crime scene investigation team has been formed, the investigation into the cause of the fire continues.
Two men will appear in court over the kidnapping and murder of Chris Baghsarian in Sydney
Two men accused of kidnapping and murdering 85-year-old Chris Baghsarian, whose body was found on the outskirts of Sydney this week, will appear in Bankstown local court today.
The pair were arrested yesterday at addresses in Kenthurst and Castle Hill before police announced they had been charged last night.
Here is our full story:
Good morning and happy Thursday. Nick Visser I’m here to tell you the news of the morning. Let’s get to the point.
NSW premier Chris Minns plans crackdown on anti-gay violence
NSW premier Chris Minns is examining changes to the law to deal with hate crimes against gay and bisexual people following shocking reports of Islamic State-inspired violence.
after a while ABC report Minns, while detailing several attacks in Sydney, said he had spoken to cabinet officials and the Attorney General’s department last night about “making changes to the law to introduce major new penalties to specifically target this abhorrent behaviour”.
We will not allow a situation in New South Wales where people are targeted by others because of their sexuality.
I want to make sure we’re in a situation where the police have the resources, the DPP has the resources, so that if someone is convicted of such an offense they can throw the book at him and he could get a serious prison sentence.
This is completely unacceptable and I can imagine a lot of young people, a lot of gay people online who would normally expect to meet someone from their own community and do so safely, to be targeted in this way is a throwback to a shocking time in Sydney history and this will not be tolerated in 2026. We will soon be looking at urgent legislation to target this shocking new crime.
Australians advised to reconsider travel to Lebanon
There is in Australia directed the takeoff Number of all dependents of Australian officials deployed to Israel and Lebanon as a precaution due to regional tensions.
The government has also offered voluntary departure to dependents of Australian officials stationed in Jordan, Qatar and the UAE and continues to advise a high degree of caution in these destinations.
Australia’s embassies in Tel Aviv and Beirut remained open but the situation in the Middle East was “unforeseen” and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said people should reconsider traveling to Lebanon and Israel.
“If you’re inside [these two countries]We continue to recommend that you consider leaving while commercial options are still available,” Dfat said on the Smartraveller website.
The site issued the following warning last night:
The security situation in the Middle East is unpredictable. Regional tensions remain high and the risk of military conflict remains.
The situation may get worse without any warning.
It was stated that Australians should monitor events, follow the advice of local authorities and follow the latest updates. smartraveller.gov.au.
Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I Martin Farrer with the breaking news of the morning Nick Visser takes the steering wheel.
Prime Minister of New South Wales Chris MinnsIt is examining changes to the law to tackle hate crimes against gay and bisexual people following shocking reports of violence inspired by the Islamic State. More is coming.
Two men accused of kidnapping and murdering 85-year-old will appear in Bankstown local court today Chris BaghsarianHis body was found on the outskirts of Sydney this week. The pair were arrested yesterday before police said they were charged last night.
As tensions increased in the Middle East, the Australian government ordered the evacuation of families of diplomats and officials in Lebanon and Israel and offered voluntary evacuation to those in three other countries.
